This past week in the Kootenay Savings Super League saw only one game go the distance, and only one team remain unbeaten.
The battle of the undefeated saw Team Brian LeMoel jump out to an early lead against Team Nathan Small, skipped by James McKenzie this week.
Related read: Albo comes back to defeat Lepine
Team Small blanked the first, but gave up a steal of two in the second, when Skip McKenzie’s last rock draw nicked a guard. Facing five well-guarded stones, Skip McKenzie made a valiant effort in the third, with a wide path draw to the edge of the 4-foot, cutting LeMoel down to a steal of two.
More trouble for Team Small, when Skip LeMoel made a perfect come around freeze on the button that couldn’t be removed for another steal and a 5-0 lead after four.
The game started to turn in Team Small’s favour in the fifth, when spare third Roger May made a tick double, leading to a three ender. Team Small then got their draw weight down, and started to junk it up, leading to steals in the sixth and seventh ends, tying the game at five, coming home without.
Team Small looked to be stealing the win, after Skip McKenzie made a wonderful come around draw to the 4-foot, but Skip Brian shut the door on the comeback with a seeing eye takeout through a tiny port for two, and an exciting 7-5 win, giving Team Small their first loss, and keeping Team LeMoel atop of the leaderboard undefeated.
Skip Ken Fines steered his team to their first win of the year over Team Darrin Albo. Skip Ken made a delicate tap for two in the first, and was looking to steal the second before Skip Albo drew against four for a single. Team Albo tied the game with a steal of one in the third when Skip Fines hit and rolled too far.
Team Fines second, Nathan Kotyk, made a brilliant long double to turn the end around in the fourth, setting up an open draw for three by Fines. Skip Albo came up short in the fifth for a Fines steal of one, then facing a wall of granite in the sixth, missed a double runback to give Team Fines another steal and a game ending 7-2 win.
Team Myron Nichol and Team Bartlett Excavating played a defensive game filled with singles except for one game-changing end. Skip Myron Nichol made a hit n stay for one in the first, followed by a perfect draw around cover, leading to a steal of one in the second. Skip Cody Barlett made a come around tap for one in the third, but just missed a run back in the fourth, that led to a Nichol open draw for three in the fourth. The teams traded singles over the next three ends, before Team Nichol ran Team Bartlett out of rocks in the eighth, preserving a 6-3 win.
Team Bill van Yzerloo got on the board first against Team Les Lepine with an open hit for one in the first, then stole a single in the second when, facing three, Skip Lepines’s last rock draw came an inch short of the shot rock. Team Lepine blanked the third, then attempted to blank the fourth, but breezed the intended rock for another van Yzerloo steal of one. Team van Yzerloo extended their lead with a steal of three in the fifth, before Skip Lepine made two perfect come around draws to the 4-foot for a deuce in the sixth.
But last year’s Super League playoff champs are struggling this year, and had enough, conceding to a 6-2 van Yzerloo win.
sports@trailtimes.ca
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